Pump seal assembly



S. G. COLBAUGH PUMP SEAL ASSEMBLY Filed April 1,.- 1944 March 11, 1947.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR (imam.

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PUMP SEAL ASSEMBLY Filed April 1, 1944 y :s sheets-sheet 2 l March y11, 1947." s. G. co: BAuGH n 2,417,349

PUMP SEAL ASSEMBLY 'Filed April l, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEV TOR.

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finan/5K Patented Mar. 11,19/ 47'1 UNITED STATESPATEJNT OFFICE PUMP SEAL ASSEMBLY SamueLGordon Colbangh, Kilgore, Tex. Application April l, 1944, Serial No. 529,219

1 Claim. (Cl. 10S-202)- The invention relates to a sealing assembly which is particularly adapted for use in pumps of various types.'

In pumping liquids, particularly those carrying abrasive materials, a great deal of wear occurs upon the pump liner or working barrel and upon the pump piston )or plunger because the parts are reciprocating relative to each other under the pressure 'of the liquid being pumped.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a resilient surface to be utilized in a pumping operation and which surface may be applied to either the stationary or the moving portion of the pump so as to create a seal which is maintained by the-pressure of 'the liquid being pumped. t

Another object of the invention is to provide a resilient sealing'member having a plurality of annular resilient corrugations thereon which are adapted to cooperate with another member in maintaining a seal during the pumping action.

A still further object of the invention is'to provide a cylindrical sleeve for pump pistons,

plungers, liners and barrels which has a plural-v ity of annular projections forming corrugations thereon .so as to create a resilient lip structure -which is adapted to flex under the pressure of the fluid being pumped so as to maintain a seal.

Another object of the invention is to provide panying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of the upper end of a pumping assembly disposed in a well bore to perform a pumping operation.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional, view which Is a continuation of alower portion of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the assembly of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation 'of a pump plunger particularly adapted for use in a well bore and to which "the invention has been applied.-

Fig. 5 is a broken sectional view of one. of the sealing members as it is used on the pump plung er of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view through the pump liner of Fig. 6.

In Fig. 1 th'e tubing 2 extends into the well and l has a coupling 3' threaded thereto. This coupling supports the upper end of a working barrel 4 which forms a part of the housing L5 to the lower end of which a nipple 6 is connected. A tail pipe 1 extends downwardly into the well any desired distance. v

The nipple 6 has a seat 8 therein which is arranged to receive the standing valve assembly' II. This assembly. is made up of a. spring sleeve I2 having an enlargement I3 thereon arranged to snap into a recess Il to hold the standing valve in position. A packing cup I5 prevents the entrance of foreign matter in around the latching sleeve.

A cage assembly I1 Icarries the valve member I8 in order to prevent any back flow from the pumpingassembly into vthe formation so that once the liquid passesthe standing valve I8 It is trapped inside of the assembly and is ready to be elevated to the surface.

In order to provide a chamber and prevent'a gas lock from occurring in the pumping assembly a standing tbe 2n 1s affixed to the topof the standing valve assembly II and this tube projects upwardly a considerable distance as seen in Fig. 1 and carries a second standing valve 2| arranged in a cage 22.

In order to provide a pumping operation a piston or plunger assembly 25 is arranged lto be reciprocated by thestring of sucker rods 2B which Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through a is connected to the pump plunger by a travelling valve cage 21 having the valve member 28 therein. It will be noted as seen in Fig. 1 that when the plunger is in the .lowermost position the valves 2I and 28 provide a chamber 29 which is relatively small so that any gas iiowing into the pumping assembly with the oil will pass on through the' travelling valve 28.

It seems obvious that when the sucker rods are raised the travelling valve 28 will move upwardly creating a suction in the chamber 28 and tending to lift liquid into the pumping assembly by reducing the pressure on the standing valves I8 and 2I. In this manner a charge of liquids is drawn into the pump and on the down stroke the vvalves I8 and 2| close sharply and the liquid in the chamber 3 which is now elongated is forced past the travelling valve 28 as it moves down. In

order to provide a seal around the outside of the plunger 25 the working barrel 4 has been provided with a sealing member which is in the form of a tsleeve or liner 88.

' This liner is made up of a cylindrical body 3l which may have a suitable reinforcing member 32 therein. The inner periphery of the particular sealing member seen in Fig. 1 has a plu rality of annular projections in the form of outstanding lips 32 which are'arranged to engage d Figs. 6 and 7 show the inventionas applied to a pump which .may be of the type used in circulating the drilling mud or slush in the `rotary method of drilling wells.

the periphery 33 of the plunger or piston 25. It

will be notedthatl these lips are inclined upwardly as seen in Fig. 1 so that the load 'of liquid inside of the tubing chamber4 3d will be exerted on these lips tending to force them against the periphery of the plunger and providea seal.

. This sealing member may be retained in position by the supporting collars spaced above and below the member so as to retain it in the working barrel in a firm position.

It seems obvious that in operation as the' plunger 25V reciprocates that a 'suction will be created in the tube 20 and the chamber 31 around the standing valve. `The lips or corrugations 32 will prevent the flow of liquid from the tubing down into this chamber on the upstroke. On the down stroke the pressure in the chambers 29 and 31 will be increased and it will be noted that the lips 32 are inclined upwardly so that if there is excessive pressure from below that there may be a flow of liquid a'round the liner in an upward direction which would tend to flush out any material which might have settled therein.

It seems obvious that the assembly is simple in itsconstruction and arrangement and can be readily lowered into and removed from the well bore in the form shown in Fig. 3.

Figs. 4 and 5 show an arrangement wherein the invention has been applied to a conventional pump plunger for wells. This plungerincludes a body 40 vhaving a threaded connection 4I to which the sucker rods -in the well can be connected. This plunger has a travelling valve 42 arranged in the cage43 at the upper end andhas the openings 44 in the bottom so that on the down stroke liquid trapped in the working barrel or housing will be forced in the openings 44 upwardly through the hollow body portion 40 and discharged from the windows 45 above thetravelling valve. On the up stroke the travelling valve will close and create a suction below the plunger in order to draw in anew charge of uid.

This operaton is, ofcourse, dependent upon the providing of a seal about the plunger 40 `and with the working barrel in the well. To accom- In this construction the pump body is pro- *y vided with -a shoulderY 9i and the annular supporting surface 62 so as to receive a metal liner 63. The pumping operationis accomplished by reciprocating the piston 84 by means of the pis' ton or pumping rod 65 in the liner, it being understoodthat the pump embodies suitable controlling valves.

In the usual type of slush pump the liner 53 presents a smooth metal surface to the piston 6d, but a greal deal of wear occurs d ue to the abrasive materials in the slush being pumped. The present invention, therefore, contemplates that a sealing .member or liner 91 can be in-n serted. in the cut out portion 89 in the liner 63 and such member can be clamped in position by the retainer ring 69. lThis vsealing member Slis to some extent similar toy thosepreviously y described and includes a cylindrical body 19 having the reenforced sleeve 1l therein. The pel ripheryof this'body 19 is formed with a. plurality of annular corrugations or lips 13 which project inwardly in the form shown in'Fig. 6.,- The crests 1d of these corrugations are arranged toA struction wherein a maximum of service will be obtained. l

Broadly the invention contemplates a sealing member for pump plungers, pistons, liners and working, barrels wherein `a seal is maintained by the Vprovision of resilient corrugations '-orlips i upon either the moving or thev stationary member of the pumping assembly.

What is claimed is:

A pump including a liner, meansto seat the liner in the pump, said liner including a rigid hollow metal cylinder, an internal shoulder,-a

sealing cylinder' disposed in said linerandhav- 1 ing one end abutting said shoulder, a member plish this the sealing member' 46 has been posiy tioned over the central body portion of the,`

plunger 40 lso as to present the plurality of outstanding corrugations or lips 41 to form a seal with the surface of the working barrel. These lips are inclined upwardly as were the lips 32 of Fig.I 1 for the same purpose, namely, to'provide a seal. These lips are formed bythe annular depressions 48 in the periphery of the member may be turned outwardly as at 5| to present a rigid supporting surface to clamp the member in position.

` This plunger may be used in an ordinary working barrel in a well without vchanging any of the standard construction of the well pump.

` Number l lle of Ithis patent:

connected to said liner and aftixing-said sealing cylinder in said liner, said cylinder being of resilfA lent material having a reenforcing sleeve i1n-vv bedded therein, and symmetrical .rounded corrugations internally thereof.

SAMUEL GORDON CoLiaAimH.

, REFERENCES CITED The following referencesV are of record in the UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 2,259,432 Failing et al.. Oct. 14, 1941- 1,287,285 Gammeter Dec. 10, 1918 2,295,683 Osmun Sept. 15, 1942 1,953,171" Grifliths Apr. 3, 1934 1,896,719 Parkin Feb. 7, 1933 1,378,949 Hahn May 24, 1921 885,899 Willard Apr. 28, 1908 

